Records up to five satellite radio stations simultaneously. Pauses live radio. Features a timed-record option for favorite programs. Also plays MP3s and WMAs.

Cons

Has trouble receiving a signal indoors unless player is docked. Only 2GB of storage. Can't move recorded content onto a PC.

Bottom Line

Though limited in terms of file support and storage, the XMp3 is a great gadget for recording XM Satellite radio content and taking your subscription on the go.

Pioneer's XMp3 is the sequel to the Inno, XM Radio's first stab at integrating its satellite radio service into an MP3-player size device. It was an impressive concept, and now Pioneer and XM have upped the ante with the $279.99 XMp3, which is smaller, lighter, and features a MicroSD slot and new recording features. As its name suggests, the player also handles MP3s (and unprotected WMA files), but the screen has no video or photo display capabilities. The XMp3 isn't without flawsspotty reception (especially indoors) and a jumpy control wheel, for examplebut it's worth considering is you're an XM subscriber, or are interested in exploring satellite radio.

Looking more like a cell phone with a stubby, old-school antenna than a portable audio player, the 3.1-ounce XMp3 measures 3.6 by 2 by 0.6 inches (HWD). Its 2.2-inch screen displays still graphics only, which is a bit of a disappointmentthe focus here is so strictly audio, that a monochrome screen would have sufficed. The player comes with standard-issue so-so earbuds, a dock with an attachable antenna and a line out-to-RCA, a remote control that's larger than the player itself, a USB cable for PC file transfers, and a power adapter for the charging dock. You only get 2GB of integrated storage, but there's a microSD slot on the top panel.

The controls and user interface are simple and intuitive. Four buttons below the displayBack, Menu, Keypad, and Optionsguide you through various menus. The Keypad button is for quick entry of a station's number, and Options pulls up different menus depending on what section of the player you're using. An iPod-esque navigation wheel controls playback, track skipping, and recording. The XM logo in the center of the wheel functions as the Enter button. Navigation is easy: The XM menu is divided into search methods for channels (favorites, genres, etc.). The Music Library houses your loaded MP3s, WMAs, audiobooks, and recorded XM content. The Auto Recordings menu displays the channels currently on your auto-record roster (more on that later). And the Settings menu lets you adjust the EQ, or set the time, for example. It also features tools that show antenna strength and memory usage.

The recording features are top-notch; you can capture songs on the spot, or schedule recordings for future shows. Not only can the player record up to five channels simultaneously, but it has a built-in DVR-like function that allows you to pause a live radio program and replay up to 30 minutes of it later. As long as the player has been powered up for the entirety of a song and you press the record button before the last 5 seconds, the entire tune will be filed away in your recorded content folder. (If you press Record in the final 5 seconds, you'll likely end up recording the next song.)

One drawback: you can't move recorded content from the player to your computer. You can manage the recorded content on your device by downloading XM2go Music Manager from XM Radio's Web site, but there's no way to, say, store episodes of a favorite show on your PC to move to other devices.

The player holds up to 100 hours of recorded contentthis number, of course, decreases as you add more of your own files to its 2GB of space. The breakdown works like this: you can store up to 10 hours of individual songs, up to 75 hours of channel recordingseither scheduled or manually recorded, and 15 to 30 hours of "automatic recordings, " which are made by selecting an option in the Settings menu. The player "learns" the stations you like the most and records them for you. If you have less than 75 hours of scheduled recordings, you'll get the full 30 hours of auto recordings. For the player to capture scheduled recordings, it needs to be docked, which is a bit of a bummer. Individual song recording, however, can be achieved on the go, provided you have strong-enough signal.

Reception is certainly an issue. You need to think of the XMp3 primarily as an outdoor device. Especially in areas with tall buildings, indoor reception is very poor. The point of the dock, however, is to provide a better indoor signal, utilizing an external antenna with an extremely long cable. (Hint: place the antenna near a window, and as high up as possible.)

The dock doesn't have speakers, but you get a line-out cable that terminates in RCA stereo connectors. If you have your own stereo component system: no problem. But if your boom box or PC speakers only have 3.5mm aux inputs, you'll need to take a Radio Shack trip to get a female RCA-to-3.5mm male jack cable. When XM's signal drops, you'll hear either silence or digital stuttering instead of static, but otherwise, terrestrial radio and satellite radio sound pretty similar.

Loading the player is most easily achieved with trusted music software like Windows Media Player, rather than dragging and dropping files. Since the XMp3 only plays MP3s and WMAs, WMP makes perfect sense. Normally, I'd knock a player for having such limited file support, but the option to store and play these files is an extra featuresatellite radio is the star of the show. If you plan on recording a lot of content, however, the aforementioned XM2go Music Manager software is your only option.

The included remote mimics the controls on the playerminus a wheeland adds in a tactile keypad for entering station numbers. I found myself using it rarely, howeverI had to squint to see the player's screen from a distance, so it was easier to control the player manually when it was docked.

Pioneer rates battery life at 4 hours for live satellite playback and 15 hours for loaded or recorded content. Various combinations of live and recorded or loaded content will mean a battery life somewhere in between. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is user-removable which is a good thing, since you can replace it yourself if it dies.

An XM subscription costs $12.99 a month, but there are various discounts available. For instance, if you own more than one radio, the second radio's subscription fee drops by almost half. If you want to pay an additional $4 a month, you'll get access to the "Best of Sirius"a package that includes premium shows including ones from Howard Stern and Martha Stewart. Add these fees to the $280 price of the player, however, and you're looking at a hefty investment.

Pioneer has crafted a good-looking, compact, easy-to-operate player. My main issue with the XMp3 is not functionalitythe interface is simple and the wheel, while occasionally oversensitive, will be second nature to any iPod user. Reception, however, is problematic. What if you want to listen to music at your desk but the dock and antenna aren't nearby? Or if you live in a big city near tall buildings, your player probably won't get a reliable signal. In this case, the XMp3 becomes very limitedboth in terms of storage and file support. For outdoor use, however, it's an ideal choice for XM subscribersalbeit an expensive one.

Pioneer XMp3

Pioneer XMp3

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